More than flying
by Vianerd
Summary: Oneshot, drabblish. "...But he knew he would be alright – he trusted Kazooie, and she trusted him."


The Isle o' Hags was far under them.  
In the far distance, all one could make out was water and maybe some stray islets.  
As she flapped a few times with her strong wings, Kazooie gracefully glided among the clouds, hauling along her bear buddy Banjo with surprising ease. Her wings did most of the work – her body was hidden in the small backpack that kept the two together, while Banjo helped her steer through the bright, azure sky.  
They had been waiting a long time for this moment. Ever since LOG returned Kazooie's old skills, they got the entrance to Gruntilda's Lair and its many passageways unblocked, as they were handy, quick warps to various exciting places. Not only that, though – they had been practicing flying to do more than just merely getting around to higher places.  
If there were any flying competitions around in the Isle o' Hags, they certainly would've made a good chance, for they had mastered many tricks and techniques that made every little flight all the more thrilling.  
For anyone else, it would've been insane, playing with your life like this. Little did they know that the bond that Banjo and Kazooie had was strong, so strong that they put their full trust into each other at all time. Rough-housing did occur between the two – but for Banjo's sake, Kazooie knew all too well when it was apt, and when it wasn't. Well… only for Banjo. Anyone else would've been less lucky.  
Like for example, right now, when they were soaring among the clouds, with the island far beneath them as if it were so much smaller than it actually was, she knew the flightless, down-to-earth Banjo had no business up in the air if it wasn't for herself. She could just fly wherever she wanted to. He could not. But he trusted her with his life, and that was the incentive for the two to practice on their tricks.  
"You ready, Kazooie?" Banjo said, blinking into the sun and putting his special goggles before his eyes that Bottles made for him earlier. He tried to not look down for the height was making him feel dizzy, and it made him feel both really little, and as if he were on top of the world. But he knew he would be alright – he trusted Kazooie, and she trusted him.  
"Hm, hmm…" Kazooie muttered. She stretched her wings and flapped them one, two, three times, pointing her beak upwards and closing her eyes. She gracefully climbed higher into the sky. The thrilling sensation of feeling the wind in her face and the sharp sunlight on her feathers was always something wonderful and indescribable to her.  
And then it happened.  
She pulled in her wings, let the sun kiss her fiery red plumage one more time, and finally escaped from that precious back-pack that attached her to her flightless friend, doing a half loop before facing downwards, which Banjo copied.  
Both the bear and bird plummeted down at once. They remained surprisingly calm, as if under a spell, and twisted around in the air, thus racing downwards through the bright blue sky like bullets, side to side.  
As she passed the clouds, Kazooie bent her head to look at Banjo, and he looked back at her. He gave a proud grin and a thumbs-up. She couldn't help but return a small, bird-like grin as well, before she enjoyed the last few seconds in complete and utter peace.  
For a ground-bound bear like Banjo, it was even more indescribable. To be up so high with such little equipment, and plummeting down like a buzzard chasing after its prey – it was something everyone he know could only have dreamed off. In those crucial few seconds, he closed his eyes, and let the wind take him on a ride.  
Kazooie gave a loud, alarming squawk that was the incentive to Banjo to become connected to his friend once again. As he opened his eyes, he noticed the island and the ocean getting closer and closer in an alarming rate. He felt his heart beat in his chest rapidly. It almost seemed as if it would explode. The last few seconds were always the most frightful.  
He glided through the air, closer to his friend, to which she tangled her feet up in that backpack again and made sure they were in the right position.  
And that was where Kazooie opened her wings again. A sharp pain shot through her body, but at the same time filled her with an all too wonderful rush of adrenaline, and something else she couldn't quite place.  
She was flying again. Soaring past many rocks, depending merely on her instincts and intuition, she navigated through the rocks with admirable speed and surprising elegance. All the while, Banjo used his arms and feet to help her manoeuvre along the dangerous spires and crashing waves.  
When she climbed up again, they could see exactly where they are. It was a beautiful, tranquil-looking island, overrun by trees that seemed friendly and inviting. But Kazooie liked it much better in the air, and pressed on.  
For now, she maintained a steady flight, going along slowly and gently.  
Banjo was in awe from the experience and could not think of much to say at all. He took off his goggles, rubbing his eyes. When he opened his mouth to speak, he sounded excited like he never was before. He smiled wickedly, punching the air.  
"Woo! That was _awesome_!"  
"Finally got over your scaredy-cat demeanour, eh, Banjo?" Kazooie uttered, giving a dry smirk that went unnoticed as she flapped her wings a few times, gliding along afterwards. She was heading to Spiral Mountain – home. "Only took over ten years. What do you think? Should we keep practicing that one?"  
Banjo would've shrugged if he could. Instead, he merely looked over the horizon, deeply enthralled by the view. It was such a long time ago when he saw anything like that for the last time. Maybe too long. "Sure. Not like we'll be doing much else, anyway."  
Silence fell for a while. Kazooie flapped along proudly, if a bit exhausted. Banjo looked up at her and smiled, and she looked down at him and smiled back.  
Banjo was already excited about the idea of practicing on this trick. But for what? It was merely because it gave him this wonderful feeling deep inside his heart. Kazooie, too.  
As if they were on top of the world, able to tackle anything that might come their way.

The bear and bird felt alive.


End file.
